Apparatus for decorating webs of material such as paper, cloth, and the like



July 31, 1934.

SUCH AS PAPER, CLOTH, AND THE LIKE Filed April 10. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet la i i Q a N 5 s I i=2 m RD INVENTOR. Russ-e215 Baum/ell y 31, 1934- R.s. BRACEWELL 1,968,279

APPARATUS FOR DECORATING WEBS OF MATERIAL SUCH AS PAPER, CLOTH, AND THELIKE Filed April 10. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I JNVENTOR. Russell 532mm? BYMum! ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 31, 1934 ammo APPARATUS FOR DECORATING WEBB OF MATERIALSUCH AS PAPER. CLOTH, AND

THE LIKE Russell 8. Braccwell, South Hadley, Mass., as-

signor to The Marvellum Company, Holyoke, Mass., a corporation ofMassachusetts Application April 10, 1930, Serial No. 443,192

19 Claims.

This invention is a continuation in part of my previous applicationflied August 10, 1928, Serial No. 298,768, and in part a continuation ofmy previous application filed April 23, 1929, Serial The presentinvention relates to a processand apparatus for imparting a variegateddesign to webs of materials such as paper, cloth and the like in amanner somewhat analogous to that of marbling, wherein a mutable designof color is floated on the surface of a liquid carrier and is taken oifthe same by the web of material.

The object of the invention is the provision of improved means andmethods for the formation and control of the color design on the carrierand its subsequent transfer to the web whereby both beautiful and uniquedecorative effects may be obtained at relatively low cost. While themutable design floated on the carrier will never be precisely the samein detail, yet sumcient control thereof may behad under the presentimprovement to reproduce in its general aspect and appearance any of theparticular designs capable of being made.

For the decoration of paper and other similar smooth and densematerials, satisfactory results are attained by the application of thecolor thereto as a coating, while for the decoration of cloth and thelike it is desirable for the best effects to impregnate the fabric withthe color in such manner as to actually dye the goods; and the presentimprovement in apparatus and method readi'y adapts itself to eithermanner of application. The improved process may be carried oncontinuously in the deposit of color and formation of the design on theliquid carrier and for its transfer to a traveling web; whereby saidmaterial may be let off a roll, run through the present apparatus toreceive its color decoration, subseq-uently treated by finishingoperations, and finally wound up on a take up roll, all of whichcontributes to a high rate of production at low cost.

In its broad aspects, the present process consists in employing acarrier body of water, preferably a gravity flowing stream in a trough,the stream moving slowly enough to maintain its upper surface perfectlysmooth and unrippled, and in preparing a color fluid having physicalproperties which enable it to float on the carrierand with little or nodiffusion thereof into the water, then gently laying on the surface ofthe carrier the color fluid so that it will float thereon undisturbed;and before said floating color design loses its identification by mixingappreciably with the water of the carrier, lapping the same off on thesurface of the web. For this lapping action, the web is brought barelyinto touching contact with the carrier surface while moving in the samedirection and approxisomewhat as it is taken up. But' when the speedbetween the contacting surfaces is the same, the color design will betransferred to the web substantially unchanged from its character on thecarrier.

After the transfer of the color to the web, any

excess water lapped off with the color may be removed by subjecting thesurface of the web to an air blower or suction device, In the case of apaper web, it is found preferable to blow a stream of air against itswetted side; and in the case of cloth web and such more porous material,it is preferable to apply a suction at the back or unwetted side of theweb. In the latter case, the suction will not only withdraw some oftheexcess moisture from the web but will also pull the color into thefibers of the fabric in facilitating the dyeing thereof. In some cases,it may also be desirable to subject the web to the combined action of ablower on one side and a suction device at the other side thereof.

With regard to certain particular features of the process, attentionshould be given to the laying of the color fluids on the .water carrierso as to minimize all possible disturbance of its surface and to preventthe sinking of the colors below the surface. Some color fluids will bemore easily floated and less readily diffused into the water carrierthan others. For paper decoration, oil colors, non-soluble in water, aregenerally used and such colors present little difficulty as to flotationor diffusion in a water carrier; whereas the colors suitable fordecorating cloth are usually water soluble dyes and these generallyrequire to be mixed with otherv components to give them the necessaryphysical property of being easily floatable and not easily diffusible inthe water carrier. Moreover, I have found that after an initial colorfluid has been successfully deposited and floated on the carriersurface, less difllculty is encountered in depositing subsequent colorfluids on top of the first with respect to the tendency to sink ordiffuse in the water carrier.

In the carrying out of the process for the obtaining of the variegateddesign, separate color depositing stations are located at differentpoints and from the upstream to the downstream portion of the carrier,and any suitable or desired color may be deposited at each station. Theweb surface contact with the carrier for the transfer of the design ofcourse takes place downstream slightly beyond where the design iscompletely formed on the moving carrier. This space distance may bevaried asdesired for obtaining different effects in the mutable designbefore transfer to the web.

For the deposit of the initial color at an upstream point of thecarrier, and more particularly when this color is of the water solublecharacter, I prefer to lay on the color very gently in the form of athin film and with this object in view fiow the color slowlydown aninclined surface or bafiie to a point closely adjacent, mat, the surfaceof the carrier, whereby it fiows on the carrier without splashing or anyserious disturbance of the carrier surface. The action is one ofgradually merging the under surface of the color film into flowingconjunction with the upper surface of the water carrier. The rate offiow of the color film to its union with the carrier may be regulated bysuitable adjustments in the inclination of the baflie so that the colorfilm will meet the flowing carrier surface while moving at about thesame speed as said carrier and thus join with the latter quietly andsmoothly.

In some cases, a film or stream of color as wide as the carrier streammay fiow off the baliie onto the carrier and thus constitute a groundcolor for a subsequently formed variegated design; in other cases,separate streams or films of color willfiow from the bafiie to thecarrier and subsequently spread out on the carrier by the action ofsurface tension. It may also be desirable to conduct streams of severaldifferent colors (different in hue) for flowing down the baffle and tocause by mechanical control a greater or less degree of coalescencebetween said different color streams on the baffle before their flow offonto the carrier. These and other modifications in the carrying out ofthe process may be resorted to as desired in the obtaining of variousdecorative effects.

The laying on or deposit of subsequent colors downstream of the initialdepositing station may be accomplished in a manner similar to thatdescribed forthe initial color; but whereas in the deposit of theinitial color the inclined baflle may have its lower edge just touchingor slightly above the water carrier surface, the baiiies for subsequentdepositing stations should preferably just clear the water surface so asto allow the colors previously deposited to fiow past and beneath thesame undisturbed. Any desired number of different color depositingstations may be employed, some for laying on individual color streams asa wide or narrow film, others for throwing color in drops, by aspattering action.

As previously stated, however, any spattering deposit of water solublecolors should preferably be made on top of color previously deposited onthe water carrier.

Referring to the drawings, which show in somewhat diagrammatic form asuitable apparatus for carrying out my process:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal section of the tank showing some of theapparatus in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section along line 3-3 of Fig. l and showing infront elevation the initial depositing station;

Fig. 4 is a detached detail view of one of the color depositors;

Fig. 5 is a detached detail in plan of a modified form of baiiie; and

Fig. 6 is a view showing an alternative position of the baffle.

In said drawings, 1 indicates a tank or trough for containing a body ofliquid such as water, constituting the water carrier 2. A water inletfor said tank is indicated at 3 and an outlet therefor at 4.

The inlet end of the tank 1 is preferably formed somewhat deeper thanthe remainder thereof to provide a settling chamber 5 for sediment, andwiers or partitions 6 are mounted therein to quiet the fiow of water.Also cooling pipes 7, carrying a coolant, are extended into said chamber5 to maintain the water of the carrier at the proper low temperature foravoiding the formation of air bubbles in said water carrier. Theobjection to air bubbles is that they come to the surface of the carrierand may undesirably modify the color design thereon. The inlet end ofthe tank 1 is also mounted on a fulcrum 8 and the outlet end issupported by an adjustable stand 9, whereby the tilt of said tank may beregulated for the proper gravity fiow of the water carrier. The uppersurface of said water carrier fiows smoothly and unrippled in thedirection of the arrow from one end of the tank to the other. 10 and 11indicate side rails of a frame which borders the sides of said tank andupon which are mounted various other parts of the apparatus.

At an upstream portion of said tank, indicated at station A, there ismounted an initial color depositor. As shown in Fig. 3, this arrangementcomprises a frame standard 12 having a transver'sely extending guiderail 13 upon which is mounted for reciprocating movement a supportingframe 14 for a plurality of color conduits 15. A crank 16 and pitman1'7, driven from shaft 18 and pulley 19, are arranged as shown forreciprocating the frame 14 back and forth along the rail 13. The colorconduits 15 (four in number, as shown) are carried in the frame 14 andterminate just above an inclined baffle plate 20. The baflie 20 extendsclear across the tank and is mounted (as shown) so as to be adjustableboth longitudinally and vertically of the tank 1 and also so that itsinclination with respect to the water surface may be adjusted.Preferably the baffle is mounted at such an inclination to the watersurface that color flowing therefrom will meet the water surface goingat about the same rate of travel as said water surface. The lower edge21 of said baffle 20 is sharpened and is located to just clear the uppersurface of the water carrier 2, or said edge 21 may at this initialstation be so positioned as to just touch the surface of the watercarrier, see Fig. 6.

It will be understood that each of the separate conduits 15 may conducta color fiuid of the same or a different hue and that said color fluid,by the reciprocation of said frame 14, is deposited first upon thebaiiie 20 and then fiows off said batfle as a film onto the surface ofthe water carrier 2. When colors of different hue are simultaneouslydeposited on the bai'fle 20 from the several conduits 15 during a backand forth movement thereof across said baflle, the different films thusformed more or less coalesce and blend with one another into a film ofvariegated design which fiows off the baiiie 20 onto the water carriersurface. The inclined baiiie 20 may either have a straight lower edge21, as shown in Fig. 3, or may 150 1,oee,a"re

decorating paper web, and acts similarly to that be constructed as shownin Fig. 5, wherein the bailie plate 201; is provided with serrated loweredge 21a. This irregular formation of the lower edge of the baflie tendsto break up the fllm formed thereon into irregular streams for flowingonto the surface of the water carrier.

At locations downstream from the initial color depositing station justdescribed, there may be mounted various other color depositors, of thesame or different type. At station B there is mounted 'a transversesupporting rail 22 which carries a plurality of color depositors 23which are alike in construction and each of which is mounted foradjustment transversely and to a limited extent fore and aft on saidrail 22. These depositors 23 preferably comprise a funnel shapedreceiving end from which extends a flexible pipe 23' which may befixedly adjusted into various positions. The lower end of the flexiblepipe carries a discharge mouth 24 which is widened into a flat blade 25,the lower end of which is closely adjacent to but slightly clearing theupper surface ofthe water carrier 2.

At the station C, further down the stream, is mounted a plurality ofcolor depositors of the same general character as shown in previousPatent 1,742,250, Jan. '7, 1930, granted to me as a joint inventor withothers. Each of these depositors comprises an irregular star-shaped disk26 mounted on a vertical and rotating shaft 2'7, the several shafts 27of said disks being driven through bevel gearing 28, horizontal shaft 29and pulley 30. Conduits 31 lead down to the upper surfaces of said disks26 for bringing the color thereto from a color supply reservoir. Alsoflexible tubes 32 and 33 are provided for bringing color from suitablesources of supply to the color depositors at stations A and B.

The web of material to be decorated, such as paper or cloth, isindicated at W and is caused to travel from suitable driving means (notshown) in the direction of the arrow from let-off roll 34, over guiderolls 35, 36 to an adjustable guiding drum 37, which brings said webinto contact with the upper surface of the water carrier 2. Thereaftersaid web passes across asuction device 38 and a blowing device 39, thenaround guide roll 40 and off to'other parts of the apparatus for beingfinished.

The web guide member or drum 3'? is preferably mounted on the frame ofthe apparatus so that it may be adjustable vertically with respect tothe surface of the water carrier 2. As shown, the drum is carried inslide blocks 41 vertically movable in a frame 42 and may be raised andlowered by hand wheel 36. It will be understood that similar supportingmeans for the guide drum 37 are mounted at each side of said main frameso that the proper horizontal adjustment of said guide drum 3'7 may bemaintained.

In the guiding of paper into contact with the water carrier 2, it may bedesirable to rotate the guide drum 37 so as to have a surface speedequal to that of the travel of the paper and the travel of the movingwater carrier. But in the case of cloth, the guide drum 37 need not berotated as the cloth may be pulled around the smooth surface of the sameas a stationary guiding member. In either case, however, the travel ofthe paper or cloth into contact with the upper surface of the watercarrier should be approximately the same in speed as the travel of saidwater carrier.

The air blowing device, indicated at 39, may be employed during the useof the apparatus in moved from the freshly imparted design. It'will beunderstood also that the blowing device 39 does not actually rub thefront surface of the web but is slightly spaced therefrom. In thetreatment of either cloth or paper, it may sometimes be desirable tooperate both the suction device 38 and blowing device'39 to act inconjunction,this and other slight changes in the described operationbeing a matter of choice in the obtaining of desired results.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for imparting a mutable design of color to a web ofmaterial wherein said color design is floated on a liquid carrier, abaflie plate mounted at an inclination to the surface of said carrier,the lower edge of said bafiie being closely adjacent to said carriersurface, means for conducting color to said baffle to flow down the sameon to said carrier surface for being floated therein, said colorconducting means comprising a color conduit and a traversing frame fordirecting the deposit of said color back and forth across said baflle,and means for guiding a traveling web of material into lapping contactwith said carrier surface to take off the color design therefrom.

2. In an apparatus for imparting a mutable design of color to a web ofmaterial wherein said color design is floated on a liquid carrier, abaiile plate mounted at an inclination to the surface of said carrier,the lower edge of said baflle being closely adjacent to said carriersurface, means for conducting color to said bafile to flow down the sameon to said carrier surface for being floated thereon, said colorconducting means comprising a plurality of color conduits for separatecolors and a traversing frame for directing the deposit of said colorstherefrom back and forth across said baflle, and means for guiding atraveling web of material into lapping contact with said carrier surfaceto take off the color design therefrom.

3. In an apparatus for imparting a mutable design of color to a web ofmaterial wherein said color design is floated on a liquid carrier, abaffle plate mounted at an inclination to the surface of saidcarrier,the lower edge of said bafile being closely adjacent to saidcarrier surface, means for conducting color to said baflle to flow downthe same on to said carrier surface for being floated thereon, saidcolor conducting means comprising a plurality of color conduits forseparate colors and a traversing frame for directing the deposit of saidcolors therefrom back and forth across said baille, one or more colordepositors located above said carrier surface, each comprising a colorconduit leading to an inclined blade, the lower edge of which is closelyadjacent said liquid carrier surface, one or more color depositors eachcomprising a rotating irregularly pointed star shaped disk located abovesaid carrier surface, a conduit for conducting color to the uppersurface of said disk, and means for guiding a traveling web of materialinto lapping contact with said carrier surface to take off the colordesign therefrom.

4. A device for decorating paper comprising a tank carrying a body ofwater, a roll positioned to guide a paper web into contact with thesurface of the water, means for apply a preformed continuous film ofcolor to the water surface, and means for distributing discontinuousdrops of color on said continuous surface.

5. A device for decorating paper comprising a tank carrying a body ofwater, a roll positioned to guide a paper web into contact with thesurface of the water, means for applying a preformed continuous film ofvariegated color to the water surface, and means for distributingdiscontinuous drops of color upon the continuous film to furthervariegate it and interrupt its appearance of continuity.

6. A device for decorating paper comprising a tank carrying a body ofwater, a roll positioned to guide a paper web into contact with thesurface of the water, an inclined baflie, means for distributing colorupon the battle above the water surface so that the colormay flow downthe baflle and form a continuous film upon the water surface, and meansfor distributing discontinuous drops of color on said continuous film.

7. A device for decorating paper comprising a tank carrying a body ofwater, a roll positioned to guide a paper web into contact with thesurface of the water, an inclined baiile, means for distributing colorupon the baflle about the water surface so that the color may flow downthe baflie and form a continuous film upon the water surface, at leastone rotating disk positioned between the baflie and the roll, and meansfor delivering color to the surface of such disk whereby it will bedischarged in the form of drops upon said continuous film.

8. In an apparatus for imparting a mutable design of color to a web ofmaterial wherein said design is floated on a liquid carrier, at leastone color depositor located above said carrier surface comprising aninclined blade, the lower edge of which is closely adjacent said liquidcarrier surface and an adjustable color conduit leading to said blade,at least one color depositor located above said carrier surfacecomprising a rotatable irregularly pointed, star shaped disk and a colorconduit leading to the upper surface of said disk, and means for guidinga traveling web of material into lapping contact with said carriersurface to transfer the color deposited thereon by said depositors tothe web.

9. In an apparatus for imparting a mutable design of color to a web ofmaterial wherein said color design is floated on a liquid carrier, 2.baffle plate mounted at an inclination to the surface of said carrier,the lower edge of said bame being closely adjacent to the carriersurface, means for conducting color to said bafile to flow down the sameonto the carrier surface to be floated thereon, at least one colordepositor for applying additional color to the carrier surfacecomprising an inclined blade, located above the carrier surface with itslower edge closely adjacent the surface of the carrier, and a colorconduit leading to said blade, and at least one color depositor forapplying additional color to the carrier surface comprising a rotatingirregularly pointed, star shaped disk located-above the carrier surfaceand a conduit for conducting color to the upper surface of the disk, andmeans for guiding a traveling web of material into lapping contact withthe carrier surface'to transfer the color deposited thereon by saidbaiile and depositors to the web.

10. In an apparatus for imparting a-mutable design of color to a web ofmaterial wherein said color design is floated on a liquid carrier, abaffle ammo plate mounted at an inclination to the surface of saidcarrier, means for conducting color to said baflle plate to flow downthe same and form a film thereon, said baffle plate being so inclinedand having its lower edge in sufliciently close proximity to the surfaceof the carrier so that the color film formed on the baffle plate flowswith unbroken continuity onto the surface of the liquid carrier,

and means for guiding a traveling web of material into lapping contactwith said carrier surface to take off the color design therefrom.

11. In an apparatus for imparting a mutable design of color to a web ofmaterial wherein said color design is floated on a liquid carrienabaflle plate mounted at an inclination to the surface of said carrier,means for conducting color to said baflle plate to flow down the sameand form a film thereon, said baille plate being so inclined and havingits lower edge in sumciently close proximity to the surface of thecarrier so that the color film formed on the baille plate flows withunbroken continuity onto the surface of the liquid carrier, adjustablesupporting means for said baille plate whereby its inclination to andits distance from said carrier surface may be varied, and means forguid'ng a travelling web of material into lapping contact with saidcarrier surface to take ofi the color design therefrom.

12. In an apparatus for imparting a mutable design of color to a web ofmaterial wherein said color design is floated on a liquid carrier, abaffle plate mounted at an inclination to the surface of said carrier,the lower edge of said baiile being serrated, means for conducting colorto said baffle plate to flow down the same and form a film thereon, saidbaiiie plate being so inclined and having its lower edge in suflicientlyclose proximity to the surface of the carrier so that the color filmformed on the baffle plate flows with unbroken continuity onto thesurface of the liquid carrier, and means for guiding a travelling web ofmaterial into lapping contact with said carrier surface to take off thecolor design therefrom.

13. In an apparatus for imparting a mutable design of color to a web ofmaterial wherein said color design is floated on a liquid carrier, atleast one color depositor located above said carrier surface, comprisingan inclined blade and a color conduit leading thereto for the formationof a color film on the blade, said blade being so inclined and havingits lower edge in sufliciently close proximity to the surface of thecarrier so that the color film formed on the blade flows with unbrokencontinuity onto the surface of the liquid carrier, and means for guidinga travelling web of material'into lapping contact with said carriersurface to take off the color design therefrom.

14. A machine for decorating paper by the flotation method whichcomprises a water-containing trough, a member having a slanting surfacecontacting at its lower edge with the water and extending transverselyof the trough, and means for depositing color upon the slanting surfaceof said member above the water level.

Ill

. 15. A machine for decorating paper by the taining trough, a memberhaving a slanting sur-- face contacting at its lower edge with the waterand extending transversely of the trough, a plu rality of colordistributing devices, and means for moving said devices back and forthacross the slanting surface of said member above the water level.

17. A machine for decorating paper by the flotation method whichcomprises a water-containing trough, a member having a slanting surfacecontacting at its lower edge with the water and extending transverselyof the trough, a plurality of pipes each delivering a separate stream ofcolor, and means for moving the pipes simultaneously back and forthacross the slanting surface of said member to deliver the color streamsthereupon above the water level.

18. A machine for decorating paper by the flotation method whichcomprises a water-containing trough, a member having a slanting surfacecontacting at its lower edge with the water and extending transverselyof the trough, an oscillatable frame above said member, a plurality ofpipes each delivering a separate stream of color, and means foroscillating the frame to carry the pipes back and forth across theslanting surface of said member to deliver the color streams thereuponabove the water level.

19. A machine for decorating paper by the flotation method whichcomprises a water-containing trough, a member having a slanting surfacecontacting at its lower edge with the water and extending transverselyof the trough, a plurality of pipes each delivering a separate stream ofcolor, means for moving the pipes back and forth across the slantingsurface of said member to deliver the color streams thereupon above thewater level.

RUSSELL S. BRACEWELL.

